Oh wow! This plot-bunny took me by surprise everyone, and I intend to see it through. Inspiration hit me while I was listening to Mad World by Gary Jules and then Everything by Lifehouse. Anyway hope you like it and REVIEW PLEASE! Ch. 2 will be posted tomarrow.

Daffodils

Ch. 1: Grief

"It's Okay. I'll bring back Sasuke for sure!"

"That's my promise of a lifetime!"

"Believe it!"

A lone figure stood against the endless grey sky. It would rain soon and from the dark coloring and texture of the clouds, it would not be a small storm. The figure gave no hint of awareness of the approaching gale. Slim and delicate the figure was that of a woman, a grieving woman. Her person radiated sadness, but her shoulders were squared, giving evidence to the fact that she had seen the worst phases of grief and survived. She had emeralds for eyes and despite the crystalline tears forming in the corners of those eyes, they were dulled. Her face held a fragile yet beguiling beauty. Framed by long layered strawberry locks that reached her waistline.

It was quiet obvious she had missed her fair share of meals. Bones jutted out where they should not in her already slim figure. If this was not enough evidence of the woman's grief, the pale complexion of her face and body were. Where a creamy porcelain skin tone should have been was a translucent and nearly opaque coloring. Blue veins wove themselves around her body in a unique pattern under her skin.

Yet she was beautiful, no telltale splotches of redness were erupting all over her face and neck while she cried. Standing in front of a massive Memorial, clad entirely in black, the scene was grimly picturesque.

The woman's name was Haruno Sakura and at the young age of 23, her eyes and posture told her life story.

Here was a woman who had seen the very best and worst humanity had to offer. She had been to the inner most circles of hell, on the battlefield and off. The blood of many Shinobi coated her small hands. She lost many who were dear to her and the heartbreak she felt at their loss left Sakura in her own private hell.

She had seen truly great men and women live, fight, and love with a Will of Fire that had no equal in the entire world. She would know, she was once one of them. One of the greatest of all the leaders had risen and fallen in her very short lifetime. Empires she once protected and even briefly ruled herself had crumbled.

All this could be seen in the way her eyes regarded the world, with a mixture of sadness, empathy, and serenity that could only be seen in the eyes of the very old. Her posture held the elegance and grace of a practiced dancer, yet there was constant tension in her muscles; ready to spring should anyone try to ambush her. She was a fighter.

The sky chose at that moment to open up, sending torrents of icy rain down on Sakura's now huddled form. Crouching low against the Memorial's wall she tried to shield herself from the onslaught of the elements. But it was of no avail as she soon found herself soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes. Muttering curses under her breath she made a quick decision. Jumping up from the soggy ground she dashed along the wall towards what appeared to be the center of the Memorial. Under a name written in the dead center of an intricate fire design she placed a bouquet of daffodils.

With one last glance at the name etched in stone, she vanished with a puff of smoke.